Method of making boxes.



No. 648,637. Patented May I, I900. H. B. SMITH.

METHOD OF MAKING BOXES.

(Application filed Nov. 11, 1899.)

(No Model.)

Witnesses wwfi) 6m 4: 1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY. 1:. SMITH, on NEW Yo"itjK','N.Y

METHOD OF MAKING BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,637, dated May I, 1900.

Application filed November 11, 1899.- Serial No. 736,661. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it nuvyiconcern:

Be it known that I, IIARRY B. SMITH, a citizen of the United Statesn esiding at New York,

(Brooklyn) in the county of Kings and State method of shaping and securing together the adjacent corner-flaps of the box-blank; and it has for its object to simultaneously bend and shape the corner-flaps to conform to the con figu ration of. the corners of the bottom of the blank and apply the corner-stays or fasten ing strips thereto to secure the comet-flaps together.

To this end the invention consists in the novel method of simultaneously bending said corner-flaps and applying corner-stays thereto at a single operation in the manner hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims following the description, reference being bad to, the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this-specification,

- wherein- Figure 1. is a perspective view of a suffi- Yi cient portion of one form of apparatus to illustratc the manner in "which my improved method may be carried into effect. I Iig .2 is.

an end view thereof, showing the parts in the position they assume after the flaps have been shaped and the stay or fastening device applied thcretor Fig. 3 is an end view showing the parts in position to shape and apply the stay or fastening device to one of the corners of the box, one of the corners being shown as" having been shaped and fastened. Fig. 1 is adetail view of one cornerof abox-blank having an angular cut-away portion and adapted to be shaped on the die and anvil shown in l igyii. Fig. 5 is an end view of a slightlymodilicd form of-aux ii and die, and Fig. (i is a detail view of one cornerof a box-blank having a round cut-away portion and adapted to be shaped on the die and anvil shown in Fig. 5

In a separate application for Letters Patent filed by me on the 12th day of September, 1899, and in the Letters Patent granted to me October 10, 1899, No. 634,507, I show and describe several different forms of boxes and blanks therefor, the corners of which are constructed in a novel and improved manner. In the box forming the subject-matter of the said application I cutaway the corners of the box-blank on'diagonal or oblique lines, as indicated at 1, Fig. 40f the drawings,and form side and end flaps 2 and 3, respectively provided with extended free ends 4 and 5, the blank beingscored on the lines 6 to facilitate bending up the'side and end flaps at right angles to the bottom 7 to form the sides and ends of the box. The respective lengths. of the flapsare such that after they have been bent up in the manner described and the free ends 4 and 5 have been bent toward each other to conform to the straight inclined or diagonal corner 1 of the bottom the vertical edges of the free ends 4 and 5 will abut, and

said ends will lie flush with one another and form a smooth and unbroken surface. This forms a box having beveled or ehamfered-corners. In my patent above referred to I show and describe a box-blank constructed on the same principle; but the corners of the blank are cut awayon the are of a circle, as at 8,

Fig. 5, and the ends 4 and 5 of the flaps are bent to conform to such curved corners, their edges abutting in the manner before described. This forms a round-cornered box.

.-In both forms of box referred to the cornerflaps after being shaped or bent to conform meeting edges. According to my present in- 1 vention the corner-flaps are bent toward each other, so that their edges will abutJand so that said corner-flaps will conformto the cut- :away cernersof the bottom, (whether beveled or curved,) and the corner-stays or fasteningstrips are simultaneously applied thereto and secured at one single operation.

Incarrying my method into effect I employ an anvil 9, having flat sides 10, arranged at a right angle to one another, (see Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings,) the apex conforming in to the cut-away corners of the box-bottom are secured together by applying to said flaps corner-stays, consisting of metallic or paper .strips attached to the flaps and covering their shape to the e er of the box; For exam-j ple, as shown'in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the apex of the anvil 9 is flat, as at 11, and intersects the flat sides 10 at obtuse angles, thus conform-v ing to the shape of the corner of the' box shown in Fig. 3. Above the anvil 9 is, arranged a reciprocating die, 12, recessed or grooved on its under side, as at 13, to correspond to; the shape ofithe anvil means (not shown) are'employed for forcing the dierdown upon the anvil, and suitable means are also employed for feeding a corner stay or strip 14; between the die and anvil.

In practice the side and end flaps of the box are first bent up at right angles to the bottom Z on the scored lines 6, and the corners of the box are successively placed on the anvil, as shown in Fig. 1, in which position the side and end flaps will lie and rest on the inclined fiat sides 10 of the anvil, and the extensions or free ends 4 and 5 will project above the upper portion of the anvil, converging toward each other. A stay or fastening-strip ll having been fed between the anvil and the die 12 the latter is caused to descend, its recessed under side pressing-the ends of the flaps against the flat apex-11 3f the anvil, so as to cause them to conform'to the cut-away portion of the corner of the box,- bottom and their edges to abut. At the same time and by the same operation the stay or strip 14: is forcibly pressed down upon the bent ends of the flaps over their line ofjointure and is attached to said flaps, securing the latter firmly together. The stay or strip may consist either of a paper strip, in which case its under side would be'coated with .an adhesive, or of a thin metallic strip having projecting spurs or prongs formed on its under side either by indenting the strip,'striking up the prongs or spurs from the body of the strip,

or in any suitable or preferred manner, the die when a paper strip is employed pressing the adhesive side of the strip in contact with the flaps, and in case a metallic strip is employed causing the prongs to enter or penetrate the flaps and flattening them down by pressure against the anvil.

. From the foregoing it will be seen that the flaps are bent so as to cause them to conform jlt'o' the shape of the cut-awaycorner of the box-bottom and their edges to abut flush with one another, andvs'imnltaneol'isly therewith the stay'or fastening device is applied to the flaps and secures the latter together, the

Suitable whole being-formed at one single operation, thereby effecting an economy in both time and labor and insuring the flaps being fas tened accurately in the position to which they are bent or shaped andalso insuring their conformity truly to the formation of the cutaway portion of the corner of the blank.

While I have only shown the anvil-and-die construction for shaping and fastening the flaps of boxes having beveled o'r chamfered corners and round corners,it will be ObVlOllS that by employing an anvil and die of the proper shape the same method of operation may be carried into elfect with boxes having corners of other fanciful or ornamental eon-v figuration, the anvil and die in all cases be ing shaped to correspond to the cut-away formation ofthe corners of the box-blank Any suitable apparatus for carrying my improved method into effect may be employed, that herein shown and described being merely given as a simple and convenient means for practicing the invention,

Having described my invention, what I claim is- I V v t 1. In the manufacture of paper boxes from blanks having the corners thereof cut away on a curved line, the herein-described method of shaping and securing together the, adjacent corner-flaps of the blank, consisting in bending the said flaps toward each other so as to cause them to conform to the curved cut-away corners of the blank, and simultaneously ap: plying afastening-strip to said flaps over the line of jointure, the. whole being performed by pressure at a single operation, substantially in the manner specified.

. 2; Inthe manufacture of pape rbo'xe's hav-.

ing cut away corners, the herein-described method of shaping and securing togetherthe adjacent corner-flaps of the box-blank, consisting in bending the corner-flaps toward each other so as to cause them to co'nform'to' the en t-away portion of the corner of the blank and theiredges to abut, and simultaneously attaching a fastening device to said flaps over the line of jointure, the whole being performedby pressure at a single operation, substantially in the manner specified.

In testimony whereof I am: my signature I in'presencc of two witnesses.

HARRY l. Sl-li'll'l. \Vitnesscs:

PERCY J. Eonnn'r, STEPHEN J. (huswo'nn.

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